Shipbucket

There are some nice drawings there Zephyr, I like the heavy cruisers the best.

Thanks. I must admit, I have always been partial to cruisers in general anyhow, my favorite class of ships. Sleek, deadly and elegant.

_________________
"Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way." - The Seventh Doctor

PATROL BALLOON - SC-3 CLASS 1914


Type 1 is on the left, the Type 2 is on the right

Length 143.5ft
Diameter 27.9ft
Height 43.9ft
Speed 50mph
Engines 1 x 75hp (Type 1 - tractor style, Type 2 - pusher style)
Volume 60, 000cft

The navy manned balloon program began in 1910 with the purchase of a pair of hot air balloons for evaluation. After 9 months of tests, the admiralty elected to move ahead with the program of using manned airships for coastal patrol duties. A number of both rigid and non-rigid airships were purchased for these purposes.
As tensions mounted between the Harberian Empire and the Prussian Alliance it was determined that a larger number of airships was needed, and needed quickly. In 1913 the Scout Balloon program was begun. The SC-1 (RB-1 to RB-5) and SC-2 (RB-6 to RB-14) classes were small shorter range powered balloons, meant primarily as a stop-gap measure until the new SC-3 class was available. Once the design was finalized they were quickly put into construction, the first squadron of 4 airships commissioning in March 1914. By the time war broke out in June of that year 2 more squadrons were active. By September production had reached full level, finishing 3 new airships each month until the first order of 44 was reached. In June 1915 a further 20 were ordered, bringing the eventual total of 64 for the SC-3 class.
Two types of gondolas were built, the Type 1 built by Guild Aero and the Type 2 built by Bellsmith Boat Builders. The blimp portion was manufactured by Endricksen Fabrics, the primary maker of the fabric coverings for military aeroplanes at the time.
Guild Aero won the initial contract for the gondolas and based their design on current aeroplanes, but this proved unsuitable because of the cramped conditions for the 2 man crew on extended patrols, sometimes up to 8 hours. As Guild Aero began building more pursuit aircraft and bombers their facilities quickly became overtasked, so the Admiralty re-assigned production of the gondolas to Bellsmith, who redesigned the gondolas to be more boat-like. The increased size permitted more room for the crew, more petrol storage, and the ability to carry a pair of medium sized depth charges or bombs. The increased petrol also extended the endurance up to 10 hours maximum. The Type 1 was fitted with fore and aft pontoons to permit landing on water. This was not needed for the Type 2 as the boat-like gondola permitted this without pontoons. As a general rule, they only landed on water during emergencies however.
The majority of the patrol balloons were used from shore installations, however 2 Mail Packets were converted in late 1915 to carry 2 each and were used as anti-submarine escorts for convoys.
Guild Aero built 18 gondolas, Bellsmith built 46. Endricksen manufactured 64 blimps.
Active service began in march 1914 and lasted throughout the war. After the war they were gradually replaced in the coastal patrol role by fixed wing seaplanes and rigid airships, the last patrol balloon being withdrawn from service in april 1924.
The SC-3 class was followed by the enlarged SC-4 class of 21 balloons.

Ships in Class
---------------
RB-15 through RB-79
(The SC class airships did not have official names, although most crews gave them unofficial ones)


RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

_________________
"Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way." - The Seventh Doctor

Love the last one!

MISSILE DESTROYER - PORT BLANCHE CLASS 2007 (Kasten Group 4)

GROUP 1

Displacement: 9,300 t
Length: 509' OA/468' WL
Beam: 66'
Draught: 20'
Propulsion: LW4400 Nuclear Reactor, 2 shafts
Speed: 33 knots
Range: Limited only by crew endurance
Complement: 336
Armament:
1 x 4.5"/55
1 x 64-Cell VLS (SeaDragon M/LR-SAM, SeaSpike SR-SAM, SeaTiger ASROC, Viper SSM)
1 x 48-Cell VLS (SeaDragon M/LR-SAM, SeaSpike SR-SAM, SeaTiger ASROC, Viper SSM)
6 x Stingray ASW Torpedo (2 x 3)
2 x 20mm CIWS
2 x 20mm autocannon (2 x 1)
2 x Chaff launcher
Aircraft:
2 x ASW/Liason Helicopter
Full Hanger

Ships in Class
---------------
Port Blanche (2007)
Beldine (2010)

GROUP 2

Displacement: 9,300 t
Length: 509' OA/468' WL
Beam: 66'
Draught: 20'
Propulsion: CODAD, 2 shafts
Speed: 33 knots
Range: 5000NM @ 20 knots
Complement: 324
Armament:
1 x 4.5"/55
1 x 64-Cell VLS (SeaDragon M/LR-SAM, SeaSpike SR-SAM, SeaTiger ASROC, Viper SSM)
1 x 48-Cell VLS (SeaDragon M/LR-SAM, SeaSpike SR-SAM, SeaTiger ASROC, Viper SSM)
6 x Stingray ASW Torpedo (2 x 3)
2 x 20mm CIWS
2 x 20mm autocannon (2 x 1)
2 x Chaff launcher
Aircraft:
2 x ASW/Liason Helicopter
Full Hanger

Ships in Class
---------------
Belfair (2007)
Cushman (2008)
Westport (2009)
Aberdeen (2010)
Hoodsport (2011)
Elma (2012)

RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

_________________
"Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way." - The Seventh Doctor

MISSILE FRIGATE - RUFFIAN CLASS 1974

GROUP 1

Displacement: 3,612 t
Length: 409' OA/390' WL
Beam: 44.5'
Draught: 19'
Propulsion: COGOG, 2 shafts
Speed: 32 knots
Range: 4000NM @ 17 knots
Complement: 212
Armament:
1 x 4.5"/55
1 x 8-Cell SeaTiger ASROC
1 x Quad BPDMS (SeaDart) (1 x 8-cell SeaSpike after 1980)
6 x Stingray ASW Torpedo (2 x 3)
2 x 20mm autocannon (2 x 1)
2 x Chaff launcher
Aircraft:
1 x ASW/Liason Helicopter
Full Hanger

Ships in Class
---------------
1974
Ruffian
Archer
Diablo
Poltergeist
Challenger
Striker

GROUP 2

Displacement: 3,612 t
Length: 409' OA/390' WL
Beam: 44.5'
Draught: 19'
Propulsion: COGOG, 2 shafts
Speed: 32 knots
Range: 4000NM @ 17 knots
Complement: 212
Armament:
1 x 4.5"/55
1 x 8-Cell SeaTiger ASROC
1 x 8-Cell BPDMS (SeaSpike)
6 x Stingray ASW Torpedo (2 x 3)
2 x 20mm autocannon (2 x 1)
2 x Chaff launcher
Aircraft:
1 x ASW/Liason Helicopter
Full Hanger

Ships in Class
---------------
1975
Enchantress
Constant
Wizard
Sorcerer
Sprite
Reliant
1976
Trinity
Courtesan
Harlequin
Freeman
Arquebus
Warrior

RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

_________________
"Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way." - The Seventh Doctor

Zephyr, where's that 8-cell block containing SeaDart? Oh, and if you really want SeaDart, then you really should go with the British-made associated directors and radar suite!

_________________
My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Also sorry for the nitpick, you left the SeaCat missile instead of NSSM on the second ship

_________________
Projects:
Zealandia AU
John Company AU
References and feedback is always welcome!

SeaDart is my name for the RN Sea Cat. Just like SeaSpike is my name for the Sea Sparrow. And Viper is my name for the NSM. I have this info in this thread someplace. I know it is linked from the Table of Contents at the start.

My navy is not a carbon copy of the RN or USN.

_________________
"Anybody remotely interesting is mad in some way." - The Seventh Doctor

Ahhh...well, ok, then, but it's still not an eight-cell launcher, but rather a quad, of which you, of course, can have two of beam-wise.

_________________
My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen